


if you asked me to, i just might give my heart and stay here in your arms forever

by Notaboutlove



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-08
Updated: 2018-10-08
Packaged: 2019-07-28 05:26:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16235081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Notaboutlove/pseuds/Notaboutlove
Summary: Our favorite ladies hang out at Lodge-Lodge; or how I imagined Cheryl asked Toni to move in with her





	if you asked me to, i just might give my heart and stay here in your arms forever

**Author's Note:**

> Um, did anyone else wake up to that promo with choni and the chair and the snakes? They terrify me but oh god, the gay over powered everything else. Title from If You Asked Me To by Celine Dion because it's an underrated gem and I'm a 90s kid.

Cheryl took a moment to enjoy the view of the horizon, the cliffs, cloudy sky, the waters below and the houses that dotted the exclusive terrain that Lodge-Lodge, as Veronica so endearingly called it, was situated on. She was looking forward to a weekend away from their oft suffocating existence in Riverdale. Here they could be anonymous, well, as anonymous as girls like her and Ronnie allowed themselves to be, with their girlfriends in tow. Or whatever burgeoning thing cousin Betty had going on, she didn’t want to assume, but all signs pointed to romantic endeavors. Veronica at least seemed to be in the midst of serious wooing.

Cheryl also felt a vague smugness that she was finally here when she had been previously rebuffed in her attempt to join their little group for a weekend away. She breathed in the unusually cool air for the late summer afternoon, letting her mind wander to the leisurely activities she would be partaking in later. Toni appeared beside her, both their bags hanging off her arms and shoulders. She didn’t appear to be struggling in the least, despite the amount Cheryl had packed. A Blossom did not pack lightly, one had to be prepared for all situations and inclement weather. “It’s beautiful out here, isn’t it?”

Cheryl held her chin in her hand to kiss her lightly. “Not at beautiful as you,” she murmured sincerely. Toni grinned, moving further into her space.

“I can’t wait to see our bedroom.” Cheryl felt herself blush.

Though certain she matched her hair, she maintained eye contact with her girlfriend.

“Could you possibly stop being revolting for two seconds and help with the rest of the bags?”

Betty huffed over to them to get their attention, saddled up and weighed down by as many bags as Toni. It seemed a Lodge packed just as adequately. Her face was pink with the struggle of moving. Veronica appeared with her hand bag and a small hand-held suitcase in the other hand. She kissed Betty on the cheek, effectively deepening the color, before skipping ahead to unlock the front door. Cheryl rolled her eyes and took a single bag hanging off Toni’s shoulder, much to Betty’s offense, to follow the girl inside.

“Please, like you two are any better. If by revolting, you mean the cutest and superior couple, you would be correct.”

Betty, too shocked and struggling with her load, merely gaped, unable to form a proper comeback, before following suit.

__________________

Toni reached for the backdoor leading out to the deck and hot tub but was quickly pulled back by Cheryl who had materialized out of nowhere, wearing her own bathing suit.

“Hey Cher, I was just going to relax out there.”

“I wouldn’t if I were you, T.T.”

The redhead’s chin pointed in that direction and Toni peered out to see Betty and Ronnie sitting close at the hot tub’s edge having what was obviously a private conversation.

“Looks serious.”

“Normally, if it were anyone else, I would relish in interrupting a tense moment and inserting myself into a situation, but my dear cousin has had it hard enough this year. What with her father being a _cheater_ and a masked maniac,” Cheryl sighed. “Come on, T.T., we can keep ourselves busy until this episode of _Dawson’s Creek_ is over.”

_______________

The, there you are, Cheryl had been about to announce died on her lips when she saw Toni pointing her camera at the cliffs in the Lodge’s backyard. It was foggy this morning and she’d woken up chilly in her silk nightgown. Once realizing an empty side of the bed contributed to her cold and discomfort, and unable to possibly find a way to go back to sleep without the tiny Serpent in her arms, she’d thrown on something more substantial in terms of sleepwear (this particular one not for B or V’s prying eyes) and gone downstairs in search of her better half. It hadn’t taken long for her to find the beautiful girl out back.

Dressed comfortably in sleep shorts and an oversized cardigan, one of hers, she noted with pleasure at seeing her in her clothes, Toni peacefully meandered the property as if she had all the time in the world. She inspected everything closely, appreciating the truly scenic land and its surroundings. Once in a while, she’d bring the camera around her neck up and snap a picture. Cheryl melted against the door frame, loving the liberty of watching her girlfriend in her element. She was always happy just watching Toni go about her business from the most mundane, like brushing her teeth before they went to bed when she spent the night, to things like this. She could learn all the subtle intricacies of this lovely human, they were seemingly endless.

She wanted to know everything, for her to share everything that mattered to her. Cheryl was a curious person by nature but before, her curiosity had served to dig for skeletons in other people’s closets, dirty little secrets that would entertain her and take her away from her own. Secrets she could use to manipulate and blackmail (as much as she hated relating to her parents, there were characteristics that inevitably pushed themselves to the forefront). This was lighter fare, to say the least. Cheryl wondered how long Toni had been up. Her hair was still mussed from sleep but didn’t detract from how gorgeous she always looked. Toni’s confidence and ease were part of her appeal. She was breathtakingly beautiful, she didn’t take it for granted, but she also didn’t flaunt it for attention or use it for any other purpose, the way Cheryl might’ve.

Toni paused at the edge to watch the choppy waves and ran her hands through her hair. Cheryl’s mind instantly flashed to the night before.

  Ronnie had ever so graciously left them the bigger of the rooms they had split up in, and without meaning to, the night had ended with her in Toni’s lap. It always seemed to work out that way with them, despite their best intentions. They inexorably ended up here, unable to keep their hands off each other. After that long drive, settling in, and a heavy meal (and maybe a couple of cocktails Veronica had mixed for them), Cheryl imagined she and Toni would collapse into bed like an old married couple.

After saying goodnight to Beronica, (she was sure they were official despite the heaviness that still clung to them after their tête-à-tête) Toni easily ceded the bathroom to her. She’d emerged in the smallest nightgown known to man (all of which had been carefully selected with her girlfriend in mind) and about to let Toni know the bathroom was all hers. Said girl was in bed, already in her own enticingly short shorts and tank top, adorably absorbed in one of her true crime books. The second she emerged into the room however, Toni looked up and their eyes locked. Her serious, tired expression visibly shifted.

Cheryl felt similar sensations in her own body light up, now alert and no longer thinking of sleep. She was not subtle as her eyes traveled down to her chest and then continued to her long legs. Cheryl watched in awe as her eyes darkened. Toni met her eyes again and without paying attention to where she’d left off, set her book on the bedside table.

“C’mere,” she whispered.

The command left her aching and breathless as she obeyed. Now in front of her girlfriend who had turned in their bed to meet her, pulled Cheryl in between her legs, holding firm to her waist. Cheryl ran her hands through pink hair and swallowed, trying to maintain some semblance of control.

“Well, Antoinette, are you going to just sit there, or are you going to deliver?”

She giggled softly when Toni buried her face between her chest to kiss all the skin she could reach all while letting her hands roam all over the red silk. Her giggle morphed into a quiet moan once Toni positioned them against the headboard so that Cheryl was straddling her. Toni looked up at her again when she continued to run her fingers through pink strands, eyes glazed but fervent, before leaning in to worship pale collarbones. She held fast to the back of her head, scratching at her scalp gently, squirming in her lap.

She needed her girlfriend but couldn’t bring herself to have her stop her ministrations just yet. She squeaked in surprise as Toni flipped them. They simultaneously burst into giggles, easing some of the tension in Cheryl’s overheated body. She loved how easily they laughed together. Opening her legs a little wider allowed Toni to situate herself comfortably. She paused to tuck a strand of red behind her ear.

“I love how malleable you are for me.” Cheryl leaned up to give her a quick peck.

“Only for you.”

Toni nudged their noses together before burying herself in Cheryl’s neck. The redhead sighed and ran her fingers up and down her back soothingly. She was so relaxed with the warm weight on top of her, it took several minutes for her to realize the only thing now coming from her girlfriend’s end was a soft steady breath on her neck. She would’ve been offended if it hadn’t been so adorable.

“Way to leave me high and dry, Topaz.”

Toni chuckled into the crook of her neck before lifting a sheepish and tired face.

“Oh, I don’t know about the dry situation, Bombshell.” She waggled her eyebrows. She didn’t anticipate the pillow that came at her face. 

 

Cheryl silently retreated back inside. She managed to find the ground coffee and made a pot for everyone. There were no signs of life upstairs, she could only assume the girls were still blissfully snuggled together in bed (she was already shipping them before they had made any announcements). She familiarized herself with the books on the shelves downstairs area while she waited for the coffee to brew, making mental notes when she found a title interesting. Eventually she made her way back to the kitchen and found a couple of mugs. She fixed Toni’s (black) and hers (cream and sugar) and carefully navigated outside.

She found her on one of the chairs around an old iron table, gazing serenely into the distance. She smiled softly, accepting her mug. She grabbed Cheryl’s hand before she could take her own seat and kissed the back of it in silent thanks. Cheryl responded with a quick squeeze and made herself comfortable. They sipped their coffee in peace, Cheryl percolating on all the possibilities of a future together like this. She would've been lying if she didn't admit she'd only been thinking, or rather daydreaming, about it more and more. The fear of scaring Toni off held her back, but sitting in this quiet domesticity brought everything barging to the forefront.

She imagined all the ways they could spend their time, the little moments that made a life lived; kisses in the morning, evenings in together, sharing past times, planning trips.

“I wish we could stay here, at least for a little bit longer.”

“Move in with me,” Cheryl blurted out.

“Here?” Toni turned to her calmly but confused.

“No, I mean when we go back. To Thistlehouse.”

In the brief moment it took Toni to respond, the redhead imagined dozens of scenarios all that essentially ended in a rejection and her having to flee upstairs to lick her wounds. It wasn’t more than a second, the briefest pocket of time, before Toni casually replied.

“Yes.”

“Yes?”

“Mhmm.”

“Do you know what I just asked you?”

Toni reached out to stroke her pale fingers, still wrapped tensely around her own mug.

“Well you want to see more of me. You basically can’t live without me, how is a girl supposed to say no to that?”

Cheryl sat up a lighter straighter, almost defiant. “Toni-”

Feeling a tirade coming on, the pink haired girl cut her off. As much as she loved listening to her girl go on long tangents, monologues even, she knew she had struck a chord with her.

“Baby, it’s a joke.”

She gently pried her fingers away and held her hand, rubbing the palm with the pad of her thumb.

“I know what you’re asking, and I know the weight it carries. And I said yes because I want that with you. I’ve thought about it too, you know. Probably more than you’d imagine.”

The fight eased out of her girlfriend’s body.

“I hate you,” she mumbled, surly but still placated by the declaration.

“I love you, too.” Toni smiled sweetly at her. Cheryl huffed but yanked her in for a brief kiss.

 

The screen door slamming punctuated the end of their moment.

“Good morning ladies, it’s entirely too early to make me nauseous. Betty is starting on breakfast for us, won’t you join us where we can keep an eye on you?”

Cheryl and Toni exchanged a look and rose, still holding hands. “We’ll be good if you and Betty promise to behave too,” Toni offered slyly.

Veronica put her hands on her robe clad hips, opening her mouth but seeming at once to rethink her retort. “Betts is very well behaved,” she amended indignantly before promptly turning back inside. She didn’t stick around to hear the snorts of laughter coming from the pair, close behind.

**Author's Note:**

> I still have a vague sense this could be longer, but I suppose I can always edit later. I have like a 5k left to post, if I can figure out how the hell to end it. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it!


End file.
